Assemblage

A main cause of global warming is the burning of petroleum-based fuels which, among other applications, are also used in the manufacture of plastics. An increase in ocean temperature, as little as 2° Fahrenheit, can be deadly for coral reef systems. Corals form a mutualistic relationship with the algae zooxanthellae. Warmer temperatures cause them to expel the algae and, if sustained, eventually kills the corals. Instead of stunning colors, a skeleton is left behind. For Bleached, the first iteration in the series, stylized coral reef structures are interspersed with plastic medical waste that has passed through my hands over the past nine years. As a former medical professional and more recently as someone with a chronic medical disease, I have witnessed first-hand the large amount of plastic waste that is generated in caring for patients. I have been saving all kinds of plastic medical waste— needle caps, needle sheaths, vial caps, tubing caps, oxygen tubing, nasal prong tubing—that have passed through my hands knowing these items would find their way into my artwork about the environment. I abhor plastic waste and work hard to eliminate it as much as possible in my life but these plastics that are generated have been essential in maintaining my health. The knowledge that plastics like these contributes to global warming and therefore destruction of the coral reefs creates a conflict with my belief system.

For Bleached 2.0, stylized coral structures are interspersed with reef “organisms” crafted from plastic household and medical waste.

Plastic Reef. An imagined future for coral reefs.

Bleached 2.0, 2023. Crochet, assemblage. Yarn, household and medical plastic waste, polystyrene, canvas, pins. 40” x 108” x 6” Private Collection

Bleached 2.0, detail

Bleached 2.0, detail

Bleached 2.0, detail